You need to protect us from your cadres, ANC

Sars head of IT Mmamathe Makhekhe-Mokhuane testifying at the Nugent Commission of Inquiry on Friday, 17 October 2018. Picture: ANA

The bizarre incident involving the Sars IT head is food for thought.

One must have a little sympathy for Mmamathe Makhekhe-Mokhuane, the SA Revenue Service (Sars) IT head who was suspended after a disastrous SABC interview, in which she told the presenter “protect me from yourself”.

The notoriety has impacted her family, with her daughter being bullied at school after a video of the interview went viral. Makhekhe Mokhuane claims she was set up to fail on TV, having been sent to the interview when Sars acting commissioner Mark Kingon pulled out at the last moment.

She was allegedly instructed to say as little as possible and merely encourage viewers to do their tax return filing electronically. We find it incredible that such a senior person earning R3 million a year could be so inarticulate and incompetent.

Given the fact she was appointed during the tenure of Tom Moyane under which Sars declined precipitously on multiple fronts, there is good reason to suspect her employment was yet another case of ANC “cadre deployment”.

She has been offered a R1.2 million “golden handshake” to resign, in addition to the R1.5 million she has already been paid on suspension.

Sars plays a vital role in the economy and it, and all of us, must be protected from such comrades.

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